Winners at the Cannes Film Festival share their elation after the ceremony

(23 May 2026) ASSOCIATED PRESS Cannes, France - 23 May 2026 1. Mid of director Cristian Mungiu being interviewed 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Cristian Mungiu, director/Palme d'Or winner: “Well, like the first time when this happened to me, I started hoping that this miracle might happen, I have to say. It's not nice to, you know, because I know that all the other films are somebody's favorite, and I feel a bit selfish for being so happy to get this award. I'm not saying that any film that gets the prized award in a festival is better than others. I don't think about the world this way. I'm just happy because I honestly thought that we are taking the risk of speaking bluntly about some needs that we need to have in this society, to be more honest, to listen more to the other. And I know that in a world like this is going to help people to discover the film. So this is why I was very happy to - that you know finally the jury had the same idea as we had. And I'm also happy that we got five awards during these two days from five different juries. And I don't think that this happened very often that five different jurors representing very different segments in society from the Ecumenical Jury to the FIPRESCI and to the big festival, consider that the same film has enough qualities to speak to their segment of population.” 3. Mid of Mungiu being interviewed 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Cristian Mungiu, director/Palme d'Or winner: "Well, I'm very happy because it's not just an entertaining film. I hope it is entertaining. I hope that it is human. I hope this is going to speak to people about this necessity of getting into a dialog with the others. I hope is going bring more doubts to people who are sure that they are right and everybody else is wrong. Well, you know, it's good every now and then to double check your values and to - I understand that there isn't just one solution for the problems that the world is having. If you're tolerant, you can understand that the big questions of humanity can be answered in very different ways. And I am a very rational person. My answers are rational. But I can empathize with somebody whose answers are, I don't know, intuitive. And it doesn't mean that we cannot live in the same world. And we need to make this effort, all of us. I think that, you know, a big change starts with the small changes that each of us is ready to do." 5. Close of Mungiu's award 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Cristian Mungiu, director/Palme d'Or winner: “And this evening is the moment when you, you can thank them. Because this award is not mine. It's an award that belongs to the film. It belongs to everybody who worked for the film, and especially, of course, to the main actors. I have to say that I couldn't have made this film without Sebastian (Stan), without Renate (Reinsve). For once I stepped out of my comfort zone. I haven't shot in Romania. I went to shoot in Norway because the story happened there. It's way more complicated to shoot in a foreign country and in a country whose language you don't speak. And I needed Sebastian for this. I needed Renate, I needed the budget that would allow me to do the film there. And I got their support. I got all the support from all the Nordic countries, and I can't thank them enough for the generosity because, you know, as you know it's very easy to say that this film is criticizing. It's not criticizing. It's bringing a set of different views and arguments about the world. And it invites you to consider your own and to see if you can have doubts every now and then. Because this is the first step to tolerance.” 7. Close of Mungiu holding his award Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...